Automatic stoker.



F. VIGGERS. AUTOMATIC sroxsn.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, I916- Patentsd May 29, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I zfzmexdfag' Patented May 29,1917

F. V|G.GERS. AUTOMATIC STOKER. ARPLICATION FILED MAIL 27. I916.

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WEW IMIIM 1 FELIX. VIGGEBS, 0F DES MOINES, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC STOKEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed March 27, 1910. im No. 87,1?1.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it kno'wnthat I FELIX Vrccnns, a citizen of' the United States, and resident of Des Moincs, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Stoker, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic stoker of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide an automatic Stoker comprising an endless grate, and having simple mechanism for operating the grate;

Still a further object is to provide such a grate of new and novel construction.

, Still a further object is to provide means for mounting saidgrate.

A furtherobject is to provide in such a device means for controlling the draft to' the fire and for supplying fresh air to the fire at the proper-p ace.

My invention consists in the construction,

arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device,- whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, illustrated in t e accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of my improved automatic stoker,

Fig. 2 shows a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view through my improved stoker.

Fig. 4 shows a transverse, vertical, sectional view 'taken on the line 4=-'4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. '5shows' a detail view of part of the grate'operating mechanism, and I Fig; 6 shows aninverted planview ofone of the tesecti'ons;

In t e' accompanying drawings, 1 have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the farnacebody. The-front wall 11 has a variety of openings-for the purpose, hereinafter mentioned. I p

I'havshown my improved automatic stoker deed in connection with aboiler 12.

I provide in the interior of the sidewalls 10aot-the-ifurnaceen each side thereof, a ay, odmposedl-off two elliptical spaced strips 133, arranged concentnic, the inner strip being coiitinuous and-theouter strip terminating at'thc frontiwall of the furnace.

' The "inner flange of each guide lilxprojects outwardl y at; the" front of "tlic furnace wall, and the outefl'flmgei of 'seach 13: te'r pointed out in my claims and minates at the front wall of the furnace and permits the removal of sectionsfo'fthe grate. My-impro'ved grate comprises in each case a series of grids or sections 15, one of which is shown in'- inverted plan View in Fig. 6.

.It will be seen that each grid 15 has on each side edge a plurality of fingers or projecti'ons "16. The fingers or projections 16 on one side of the grate section are stag ered with relation to those on'the other side, so that the fingers 17 of the adjacent gjrate sections intermesh with each other.

At each end each grate section is provide'd with a pairof spaced rollers 17 adapted to travel in the guides 13. Each grid is provided on its under side with a downwardly extending transverse rib 18, preferably arranged in the middle "of-the grid from front to rear. The grate "sections are slid into the guides from the front and pushed along until a continuous grate is completed.

At the rear of the furnace is a curved wall 19 adjacent to the inner end of the grate. I 1.

A partition-2 0 extends from the lower end of the curved wall 19 downwardly and toward the front of the furnace. The upper rear end of the partition 20 stands justbelow and close to the grate, while theforward end thereof is spaced below the grate a suitable distance.

Above; and below the forward end of' the artition 20 are openings 21 and 22in the rent furnace wall which may be closed by hinged doors 23.

I preferably arrange the'doors 23 in pairs, each pair being arranged at the same height, so as to leave a vertical reinforcing member aimthe center of the front wall of the furnace;

Opposite the front end of the-grate are a pair of outwardly opening "doors 25, which may be held closed by a suitable locking device 26. The doors 25 are fitted to the furnace front between the points of termination of the outer stri s 13.

Above the upper rent part=of=thegrate Mountedwiriltha side wall ofthelfufiace and extending transversely across the furnace between the upper: and lower-portion,

of the grate is formed thereon within the furnace the cranks 30 and 30.

Pivotally mounted on the crank 30 are arms 31 extending downwardly and for Wardlyjn the furnace.

'Pivotall'y mounted on the cranks 30 are arms 32 extending downwardly and rea;rwardly in the furnace, and having at their rean-ends-hopk' members 33 with their rear surfaces-beveled: at; 33. t

On the-shaft 29 outside thefurnace walls 1 is a ratchet wheel 34.

Piyoted to the furnace Wall above the,

ratchetwheel 34 is a pawl39- adapted toengage the teeth of the ratchet Wheel and prevent movement :of said wheel inone direc- Rotatably mounted on the shaft 29 adjacent stothe?rat'chet wheelisa plate 40 having cam faces '42; adapted to be moved to posi' tl'ODFfOI engaging laterally projecting rollers 43 011 the pawls 36-and 37.

Extendingdownwardly from the plate 40 is aan-arm '44 to which is pivoted 'alink jor rod 45 extending forwardly and slidably mounted in the front wall oftlie' furnace.

Onathe outer end-of thelink 45 is-ahandle 46. 'Pivoted between its ends on a bracket 47 of the front furnace is a lever 48. Y Theinner endof thelever 4'8 is-pivoted to theforwardend of. the bar35. The outer endof'thielever'48', outside the furnace is pivotedito the-link: '49}; which 'isdesigned' to" be connected with any suitable source-10f power, whereby therleverAS may be-oscillated at. certain predetermined: intervals for oscillatingthe bar'35, and throngh the pawl s 36 and 37- and the ratchet wheel 34 impart ing ==rotation tofthe shaft 29: I

The link 49 may be-cpi-voted' at different points toithe lever 4am means of plates-or pins:- selectively extendedlithroligh holes 50 in'ther outerenii of said: leverfor regu'lating the stloke of the pawls and 37 "Eur thei regul ation' of the action of: said pawl is provided by manipulatingthehandle 46 for* moving "the platewefl to different tions for eausizn 'rth'e cam -faces!thereon ts engage th'e mllem 43'; whereby the-' pawls 35' a crank shaft Q9, having pawl" 36 :adaptand 37 may be held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel during part of the stroke the practical operation of my improved automatrc 'stoker, the fire is built on the u per portion of the grate and the coal is placediii the hopper 27. When the lever' 48 is operated fort rotating the shaft which can be either by machinery and automatically or if desired maybe done manually, the

shaft is rotated for turningfthe cranks thereon. It=wi1l be seen that during part of the movement-of the. shaft the arms 32 Will be moved forw'andly. The hooks 33, during such movement will engage thewribs .18, thereby moving the lower stretch'of the grate-forwardly,- andv the upper stretch rearwardly. During another part of the move ment of the shaft the :arms 3l willbe moved forwardly in the machine, whereupon the arms31 villi engageithe ribs 18, and move the lower stretch of the grate forwardly, thereby moving the upper stretch thereof rearwarclly in the machine. -'During ssaid latter movement the-hooks 33on thearms 32: travel rearwardly over the ribs:18,- 01122113- count of the action of-the' cranks'and the form of the beveled surfaces 33*. It will be noted that on account-of the construction and arrangement of the :arms31 and 32 and the cranks, the sections of the upper stretch ofithe .gratewillbe kept c1osetogether,- for holding the fuel and ashesywhilesuificient play ofrthe: sections will be permitted in the lower stretoh toallow for expansion and;

contraction.

Mounted insidethe rear portion of=the grate is a curved wall 51, Which stands adacent-to the-rear portion ofithe inside of the grate.

The upper portion of-the wall 51 extends a short distance beneath the upper stretch of thegrate, asclearly shown in Fig.3.

The doors -23 anay be opened-to cause a draft, and on account of theirarrangement and the arrangement of the partition 21' fresh air will-be gfed upwardly to the r-fire above thewupper stretch of the grate along the entire length of the grate exeept-at the rear end thereof. It will be thusjseen that fresh air is i-suppliedto the burning coal for a considerable distance of its travel, and there is thereby seci'lred a complete combustion.

is not consumedfiby :my furnace and automatic stioker. x

The finer ashes drop downwardly-through the grate upon the partition-20 and ma be removed through the opening 21'. The larger ashesagpa'ssrarearwardly and drop downwardly over the' curved I wall -19 :to' the lower part a of the furnace from which they may beremoved'i'throu'gh the i opening 22. A

*It will 'be'smennthat the ;grater;scotiens are.

r findthat there is: ivery magenta which my improved stoker without departing from a the essential features and purposes, and it is my intention to cover by this application any such changes which may be included within the scope of my claims.

I claim- 1. In an automatic Stoker, a furnace having side walls, a back and a front wall,

parallel elliptical guide grooves spaced from each other, a grate comprising sections provided with pairs of rollers at their ends traveling in said grooves, each of said sections having on one side a transverse rib, a transverse shaft extending across the interior of said furnace between the upper and lower stretch of the grate havlng cranks, an arm pivoted to one of said cranks and extending downwardly and forwardly to the lower stretch of the grate, an arm pivoted to another of said cranks and extending downwardly and rearwardly to the lower stretch of the grate having hook members with beveled rear surfaces, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. In an automatic stoker, a furnace wall, having a back, sides and a front, a pair of parallel guide grooves on the interior of the opposite walls, a stoker comprising sections each having at each end a pair of spaced rollers mounted in said guides, a curved wall at the rear of said grate extending around the end thereof, a partition extending from the lower part of said curved wall clownwardly and forwardly to the front wall, a

door in the front wall above said partition.

3. In an automatic stoker, a furnace havingside walls, a back and a front wall,

parallel elliptical guide grooves on opposite sides of the interior of the furnace, a grate comprising sections provided with pairs of rollers at their ends traveling in said grooves, each of saidsections having on one side a transverse rib, a transverseshaft extending across the interior of said furnace between the upper and lower stretch of the grate having cranks, arms pivoted to said cranks and extending respectively forwardly and rearwardly and downwardly to the lower stretch of the grate, means for rotating said shaft, said means comprising a ratchet wheel on said shaft, a bar pivotally mounted on said shaft, pawls pivoted to said bar and adapted to coact with said ratchet wheel, and means for oscillating said,

bar.

4:. In an automatic stoker, a furnace having side walls, a back and a front wall, parallel elliptical guide grooves spaced from each other, a grate comprising sections provided with pairs of rollers at their ends traveling in said'grooves, each of said sections having on one side a transverse rib, a transverse shaft extending across the interior of said furnace between the upper and lower stretches of the grate having cranks, an arm pivoted to one of said cranks and extending downwardly and forwardly to the lower stretch of the grate, an arm pivoted to another of said cranks extending downwardly and rearwardly to the lower stretch of the grate having at its end a hook.

pivotally mounted on said shaft, pawls pivoted to said bar and adapted to coact with said ratchet wheel, and a plate pivotally mounted on said shaft having cam faces adapted to coact with said pawls for determining at what points in the stroke of the pawls said pawls shall engage the ratchet wheel.

5; In an automatic stoker, a furnace with walls, a substantially elliptical grate made in sections adapted to travel, said sections having transverse ribs, a shaft having a plurality of cranks within said grate, a plurality of arms mounted on said cranks and arranged when the shaftis rotated to engage said ribs for causing said grate to travel.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 18, 1916.

FELIX VIGGERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

